A shift of power
by profiler20
Summary: It s a little bit of Walker childhood history that deals with the sibling dynamics. Justin s not born yet. Sarah:10 years, Kitty: 9 years, Tommy: 7 years; Kevin: 5 years
1. Chapter 1

Fragen zur Büro-Organisation:

By: (profiler20)/anna16profiler

About: the Walker childhood, Justin´s not born yet, William still alive

Rating: G

Disclaimer:The Walkers and everyone connected are not mine. I´m just borrowing them for fun.

Summary: It´s a story set in the early childhood of most Walker siblings.Justin´s quite a few years away from being born.

The kids age:

Sarah:10 years Kitty:9 years Tommy:7 years Kevin: 5 years

A Shift of Power

Chapter1:

MORNING ROUTINE

It was another one of those messy mornings. Nora Walker stood in the midst of her 4 children who were basically tearing the kitchen apart. She had just entered the room and immediately milky cereal banged against her right arm making her flinch.

Kevin, with 5 years her youngest, was looking happier than ever before,playing blissfully ping pong with his breakfast. Older sister Kitty next to him was just as busy, trying to convince the latter to stop it NOW by virtuously describing the disadvantages of throwing food, demonstrating once again how much more evolved she was than little Kevin. Kevin however seemed hardly impressed and Kitty too happy in her vivid monologue to notice.

In the meantime Nora opened and closed her mouth several times planning to finally put an end to this nonsense, but couldn´t bring herself to get entangled in this disaster she called her morning routine.

It was so much less stressful to stand there unnoticed and close to the exit. Waiting for reality to catch up with her, Nora turned her head to see another ongoing disagreement. Her oldest, Sarah was doing her very best to warm up milk without being irritated by her younger brother Tommy who kept pulling on her clothes screaming that he wanted to do it. He was seven years old!

Nora considered the image of two of her children burned by hot milk much more of a threat than food plastering the walls and made a step forward. Sarah however was quicker: "Goddamnit, Tommy!! Would you please, PLEASE, stop this like NOW?!

Tommy opened his mouth but Sarah gave him a very intense warning look, raised one finger and said:"Uh--uh!! Did you want to say something?"

Tommy nodded and opened his mouth again, and once again Sarah (cut him off):

"Oh that´s too bad, because you don´t GET to say something! I am in charge of the milk and as long as that doesn´t change, you´ll be quiet and sit with your siblings!"

Tommy looked up to her with big eyes, looking slightly hurt, mumbeling: I just wanted to do it –once. Sarah heard the resignation in his voice and immediately responded. She kneed in front of him and said with a much softer voice:

"Come on, Tommy. Once you´re 10, you can do it too. Look, even Kitty isn´t allowed to do it, okay? It´s just something Dad thought, would be best… (Tommy still didn´t look any happier.) ….how about, I´ll keep Kevin away from you when your friends come over later? …. And even Kitty?"

Now a tiny smile appeared on his face and after Sarah had given him a big kiss on his cheek, he turned to sit at the table, but froze before he got there: MOM!!

And with a glance over to Kevin and Kitty: "Look what Kevin and Kitty are doing!!"

Nora nodded, gave him a smile and with a glance down, said: „Yes, I´ll take care of that… you go find your other sock, sweetie. You can´t walk around like that."

Tommy looked down himself, grinned and ran off. Nora went over to Sarah, who was finally warming up the milk, and said approvingly: "Thanks for that. You did great."

Sarah let a little smile slip then finally serving her siblings their milk. Kevin´s cereal had been taken and the only reason he wasn´t throwing a tantrum were Sarah and Nora coming to the table distracting him with their appearance and the morning milk, that all kids had to drink, even Sarah.

Nora bowed down to her, whispering in her hair: Sweetie,I´ll be right back.I can rely on you to look after the others for a moment, can´t I?

Sarah looked up at her, smiling a little bit, saying: Yes, mom. Always.

Nora stroked Sarah´s slightly wavy brown hair and left her four children behind hoping she would finally be able to get a few minutes to herself.


	2. Chapter 2

Fragen zur Büro-Organisation:

Chapter 2:

PARENTS TALK

The nightmare Tommy had endured last night had kept Nora up all night and she was glad the milk situation didn´t get out of hand. She really sometimes wondered what it was that kept Tommy more than her other children so diverse if not contradictory.

During the day he normally was wild and untamed just like all boys his age...

Then again Tommy had been her first son and when she looked at Kevin, she suspected that Tommy´s wildness could be moderate in comparison what was to expect from Kevin.

But Tommy had a vulnerable side to him that had come out last night rather clearly…

Sleeping tightly Nora had abruptly woken up as she heard him crying out and sobbing. She jumped up rushing to see what was wrong and found Tommy sitting in his bed, shaking but not saying a word and there was no talking to him…

Not just Sarah and Kitty came to Tommy´s bed hearing all the noise, even William did, but all he said, was that Tommy had had a bad dream which is normal and nothing to worry about… Nora would have started a fight if the kids weren´t already scared and up when they should have been sleeping.

But now was the time to talk to William about all the stuff that´s been going on lately. Nora found him in the hallway where he was going through his briefcase. He must have sensed her as he looked up, then smiled:

„Got the kids back under control?"

Nora didn´t smile back, saying: "Obviously. It´s just that… uh it´s tricky."

„Oh come on, Nora, what is tricky?"

„It´s just the balance is a little off. Tommy having this dream last night and now acting out to Sarah… it´s so unlike him.

„Nora, it might seem that way now,but Tommy has had nightmares before like all our kids have. It´s normal and so is challenging Sarah. She´s the oldest and Kitty had that phase, too, where she tried to take over being the oldest, remember?

Indignantly Nora anwered:

"I certainly remember. I was the one to tell you. You can´t argue that I pick up on a lot more than you do. How could it be different you working all day?! And I´m saying that there are things going on we have to deal with."

William who looked more and more offended as he listened to his wife, asked quitely but tensely:

"So is it Tommy or Sarah who we need to deal with?"

„Oh,I don´t know. Both I guess. Still I think Sarah´s position as the oldest, smartest,-whatever- hasn´t been the best lately.Her helping me constantly certainly has up-sides and she´s just and fair with her siblings, but I feel like we could be imposing too much responsibility on Sarah,when she´s really only a kid herself.A kid that could get confused by what we demand of her… (trying to get it together) I just don´t want her to get the wrong impression and if we don´t stop this….

She stopped,looked at him, eyed wide open and a troubled worried look on her face. He fixated her with a stern look,now frowning and answering:

„Stop what exactly? And what impression shouldn´t she get?"

Nora opened her mouth but he continued:

"Nora, she´s 10 years old and she needs to learn to take responsibility. In my opinion she should have earlier. She´s such a bright kid, she understands she needs to participate actively in family chores. Didn´t we always teach all of them to look out for one another?"

Nora nodded, but answered firmly:

"Of course we have, but that´s NOT what this is about! There´s no harm in her looking after Kevin and Tommy once in a while but what you suggested yesterday,her alone here at night as practically „the adult" in charge??"

William sighed, now looking as if he finally knew what this –really- was about:

"So this is about tonight.

Nora, we will attend this dinner for a few hours, then be right back. For all I know, the kids will be asleep the whole time. I really don´t see why you´re making all this fuss. Of course, it would have been better to get a sitter, but in such short time. That´s impossible."

„Yeah, well how did that happen?"

„You know how it happened. The CEO of a company, we´ve been trying to make a deal with for months, finally even if on short notice invited us to a formal dinner and there´s no way we can miss that."

„I get that YOU need to attend this precious dinner. But why me as well? You know I don´t even like all these suits whom I have nothing to say to or-"

„Nora, I know you dislike this sort of thing, but I need you there. They invited both of us and the other partners will bring their wives as well. I just need your support on this, honey,please."

Nora still looked unconvinced as she nervously paced around. He reached out to her, gently holding her arms, softy saying:

„It´s just one night. Sarah can do it, she will be fine and so will the others. Okay?"

Exhaling Nora finally gave in:

"Okay,okay. Fine.But I should talk to the kids as soon as possible and-

„I´ll talk to Sarah."

„What?"

„Yes. I´ll explain it to her."

Another shadow darkened Nora´s normally so soft features but she refused to get into another discussion, mumbled „Fine." and went off to get the children ready for school,then in the car and with Sarah present she would tell them all about the evening plans.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Sarah following her father into his office room, now turning her head glancing over to her mother and Nora didn ´t like the look at all. It was all to aware of this strange distance between the two of them, once more.


	3. Chapter 3

Fragen zur Büro-Organisation:

Chapter 3:

DELIEVERING THE NEWS

Sarah followed her dad in his study and sat opposite his desk, glancing at her father expectantly but not afraid.

William sat down and folded his arms, leaning on the desk:

Sarah, I have a favour to ask you and it´s a big one.

Sarah nodded and William continued:

Listen, there is an important dinner tonight that both me and your mother have to attend. The problem is, we only learned about this yesterday and didn´t have time to find a sitter.

Oh. So…we all have to come? Sarah excitedly asked.

William was pleased how attentive and curious (wissbegierig) Sarah often proved to be and answered with a friendly smile:

No, that´s not really an option. You´d be bored.

He stopped for a second,chuckled:

Well, your brothers and sister would be and let´s face it, you all aren´t exactly quiet and well-behaved at all times.

Sarah shrugged, grinned a little herself.

„Now listen to me closely, Sarah. We need to go anyway, but somebody has to be in charge here."

Sarah looked slightly confused and gave a little cry of surprise when her daddy said" we were thinking you could do that."

She jumped up, stepping closer to the desk,but William immediately got up, lifted Sarah in the air and sat down with her on his lab. He put his arm on hers and asked seriously:

Sarah, do you think you can look after the little ones for one night?

„But Dad, Mom always says, I´m still too young to do that, she said I need to be at least 12 and that it´s even a strain for a grown woman to have an eye on all of us !"

„Oh and she´s right. That is nothing I would ask from you often but this is an emergency. An exception, if you may. Would it be okay, just this once??

Sarah hesitated, and seeing how worried Sarah looked, William wondered wether this may be about loyalties, Mom or Dad. William knew how convincing and clear his wife could be when explaining the family rules to the kids,therefore William gently said:

„Sarah, you do know your Mom´s okay with this? Of course we talked this through first."

„Oh", Sarah´s face lightened up, „she wants this too? Then of course I´ll do it, Dad"

„You promise me, you´ll be good, keep ahold on Kevin and keep him away from Kitty´s room?? You know how mad she gets when someone takes her stuff and Tommy with all his acting up can be quite straining too, so don´t hesitate to be strict!"

Sarah chuckled „Um, okay. I´ll try. But Dad,Tommy has changed a lot lately, he´s always playing with Kevin, well at least when Kitty is doing her homework!! You know how super-precise she is, I need only half the time she does!! But I think she´ll help me too, so… I will do my best. I promise.

William schwungvoll put Sarah off his lab and back on the ground and went to open the door but turned around,fixated Sarah and sternly said: I expect you to keep this promise. I won´t accept any less and I trust YOU with this, so don´t disappoint me.

Sarah´s face had fallen in and with scared eyes she mumbled: Yes. I won´t, um disappoint you.

William´s serious face impression vanished as quickly as it had appeared and with a big smile he said: That´s my girl. Now go, the rest of the bunch is waiting for you in the car.

Sarah ran off, grabbed her schoolbag,stopped for a minute to figure out what to make of the just heard news, then decided to not let the others wait any longer.

She quickly left the house and climbed into the van where everybody was already waiting.

As the tallest, Sarah had the privilege to sit in the front of the car, next to Nora. In the back Kitty and Tommy were teasing each other while Kevin looked into a book with pictures of animal families.Occasionally he increased the noise when he yelled excitedly to noone particularly something like:

"Oh look a pig and it has babies! Look how many. More than even Mommy has!"

Nora had lifted her head from the lethargic state she´s been in, when Sarah got into the car.

After taking a deep breath, she rose her voice to say not aggressiveky but decisively:

"KIDS! TIME TO STOP THE NOISE! HEY EVERYBODY! I NEED TO SAY SOMETHING!"

It took a while for Nora´s children to get into the listening mode, because Kitty still had to say something:

"NO, Tommy. You´re wrong. Women CAN become president. We have equilty to men and women!"

Sarah simply said from the front: "You mean equality."

"Yes that. Equality! See Tommy! I´m right." Kitty shouted out but blushed a little hence the correction.

Tommy importantly replied: "Then why aren´t their any girl presidents? I asked Daddy. He said there never even was ONE! Right Mom?"

Nora quicly decided to help clear the argument, then get the bunch to listen.

She carefully said:

"You´re right... and wrong. Your Dad told you the truth, of course. We never had a woman for president, but Kitty is right too. It is possible we´ll get one sometime in the future, hopefully.

So you were both right though you disagreed. Isn´t that something?"

Nora used the confused silence, she got for this cryptic explanation and finally got to say:

"Now all of you listen. There´s been a change of plans., because -um- something came up for tonight."

Kitty curiously asked:

"Oh yeah? What is it Mom? Will Dad take us to this adventure park we talked about? The one with the-."

Nora cut off Kitty´s enthusiasm:

"No, darling. Nothing like that. Besides you don´t go there in the evening and more importantly, I already told you and your father it´s not really for children under 12!"

Nora realized that she was drifing:

"Now everybody listen up!

Tonight your father and me as well have to go to an important dinner and unfortunately we have nobody to watch all of you- expectant silence, even Kevin gone quiet, sensing the tension- So we thought SARAH could do that."

Immediately turmoil broke lose, mainly caused by Kitty and Tommy who started talking at the same time, but it grew even louder when Kevin decided to join the fun, not willing to let this opportunity to make noise slide, even though he didn´t really know what was going on.

Kitty was the first to be heard:

"But why Sarah? Why not me? MOM! That is completely NOT fair!!"

Nora responded with calm words which was proof of her self-discipline. She had endured a lot of noise in a small space during the last 20 minutes and a major headache was coming:

"Kitty, we chose Sarah, because she is the oldest, but frankly if we could have helped it NONE of you would have had to shoulder this kind of responsiblity. And Kitty you can always prove how responsible and mature you already are by behaving impeccably tonight!"

Now Kitty looked a lot less upset and when she grinned saying, "Of course, I´ll behave uuuum impeccably and I´ll even help Sarah." in that merciful tone, Nora turned away from the backseats,looking straight forward, relaxing her cramped neck.

Tommy had fallen silent and was obviously pouting, being once again overtrumped by his older sisters.

Nora noticed that Sarah next to her looked a lot less nervous now the news were delievered and Kitty was relatively fine with it. That was very important to Sarah as Kitty was very close to Sarah. They were like best friends despite their sibling rivalry that mostly originated with Kitty who was comfortable with fighting a lot with whoever while Sarah though up for any verbal fight preferred not to.

Before Nora finally started the car, she silenced Kevin who was still making seemingly more noise than all the Walker children could have together.

To Tommy Nora sofly said:

"Honey, I know this isn´t great for you now,but... you know when you´re all big and grown up you can look after your sisters! God, i hope you will."

Nora added more to herself than to Tommy.

Tommy still wasn´t very happy but during the course of the drive he imagined being a grown up, strong and powerful like his dad and the frown on his forehead eventually vanished.

When they all arrived ad Sarah´s, Kitty´s and Tommy´s elementary school, Nora gently kissed Kitty and Tommy goodbye, but held back Sarah:

"Sarah, do you mind if we talk? It won´t take long, but I have something to say to you."

Sarah slowly looked over to the van in which Kevin was now by himself, mumbeling to himself, going through his book again. Sarah looked back at Nora:

"Sure, mom. let´s talk, but we gotta make it fast or I´ll be late for class and Kevin will tear the can apart. as soon as he realizes there´s nobody there to stop him."

Nora smiled a bit, glanced over at Kevin to make sure he´s okay, then pulled Sarah over to a nearby bench.

She just looked at her daughter for a minute, before she started:

"Sarah, I know you´re not just my little girl anymore. You´ve grown, you´re 10 and you have 3 siblings who are all younger than you. Besides that you have proven numerous times how well you look after the others and take care of them. I won´t forget how you stopped Kevin from eating sand or got help for Tommy when he fell off that tree - but you know all that.

The point is that i don´t want you to think I´m saying what I´m about to say because I doubt you. Because, Sarah, I really don´t. I do not doubt you.

It´s just, are you sure you want to do this? Because if you think, you have to or that you would disappoint your dad or me if you said NO-."

"But that´s the point. If I said no, dad would be disappinted and why shouldn´t he be? He just asked me a favour, one than I CAN do."

Sarah looked at her mom, frowning,feeling irritated and she added:

"But you know that I can do it. You just said so yourself. Therefore it must be something else. And i can´t figure out what it may be. I-."

She stopped and despite her words she looked confused rather than upset.

Nora said sighing:

"Honey, I- I just- I felt like I needed to give you a way out even though I know you can do it. Oh Sarah darling, I wish I knew why. I´m sorry. I´m-I don´t know."

"It´s okay, mom. It´s fine but I have school now."

Sarah gently said while putting a hand on her mother´s arm. Nora wiped away a tear, hugged her daughter very tightly, watched her go and eventually got back to Kevin, who was welcoming her cheerfully.


	4. Chapter 4

Fragen zur Büro-Organisation:

Chapter 4:

GIVING UP CONTROL

Nora ran through the house doing a million things but getting nothing done. She couldn´t even explain to herself why, but giving her children in the care of one of her children unsettled her more than anything has in a long time.

She kept asking all of them wether they might be sick or scared, even felt their foreheads just to find something that gave her an excuse to stay home after all.The only result was that Kevin picked on his mother´s nervousness and annoyed everyone by constantly knocking things over and acting more clumsily than usual.

When water spread all over Kitty´s diligently composed drawing the tension easily became tangible.

„Kevin, you idiot! Look what you´ve done! You´ve ruined it. It´s all... MOM! Mom.." Kitty´s voice broke when she saw how right she was, the drawing she has been working on all day, was noch recongnizable as such anymore. She began to cry and sob hysterically half out of despair, half out of rage.

When it took Nora a few minutes to get there, under tears Kitty began to scream at Kevin angrily:

„You disgusting... boy., you´re, you´re good for NOTHING! You always destroy EVERYTHING, you won´t stop until everyhing´s broken. You´re awful. So awful and I HATE you!"

It was only thr non-tolerance for violence in the Walker family, that kept Kitty from furiously shaking Kevin.But there was no need to make her point any clearer, Kevin already started to sob, actually scared by Kitty´s outraged face, her wild gestures and her loud voice filled with contempt.

Nora finally stormed into Kitty´s room,her dress hanging loosely around her and her hair weirdly half styled. Normally the kids would have laughed, but neither Kevin nor Kitty were remotely close to noticing their mother´s strange appearance.The latter only needed second to comprehend the situation. A knocked over glass of water, a ruined drawing. Kitty furious,Kevin desperate.

Seeing all that, to her own disbelief and surprise, Nora calmed down for once this day. Her strained nerves relaxed, her mixed feelings vanished and so she found it difficult to understand, she assumed the reason for this inappropriate reaction of hers was that this was a situation she knew and knew how to solve.In fact she knew all these situations inside out. Managing fights between the smaller family members was daily routine for her as walking the dog was for others.

After a deep breath Nora picked up Kevin holding him tightly in her arms already feeling how his little body unclenched.

To Kitty Nora spoke softly: „Honey, this is awful. Yes, but Kevin never meant to do that. He was just being a little kid and as you can see,he feels terrible now."

„So do I." Kitty said definatly.

„I know, sweetie. I know, but tomorrow you´ll draw a new painting, one that´s even better. I´ll help you, how is that?"

„Yeah, right. Then he´ll come and ruin it again." Kitty answered bitterly.

„Oh no. NO! I´ll make sure that doesn´t happen and I´m sure,Kevin will too. And that´s not all. We´ll go to toyworld and get you something, hmm?"

„Really?? Just me? I´ll get something? COOL!" finally Kitty was ready to forgive.

Nora normall didn´t bribe her children but she felt this was a special day and therefore special case. Besides it wasn´t a good idea to leave Sarah here with an discontented Kitty.

Nora put Kevin, who had calmed down, back on the ground, kneed in front of him and asked in a friendly encouraging tone: „Now, Kevin, isn´t there something you want to tell your sister?"

Kevin looked back at her, his eyes still wet from the tears, nodded and turned to Kitty: „Um, Kitty? I am, um, sorry. Okay?" he added carefully.

Kitty whose anger had faded gently stroked his cheek, her brown eyes now warm and forgiving: „Okay. It´s fine. But don´t ever do it again!" They hugged and ater Nora had given him a reassuring look Kevin ran off.

Nora was proud her children were able to forgive one another, even if it sometimes needed a little push in the right direction. She gave Kitty a big kiss and said:" Now I should really go and get ready, because your father won´t take me like this, will he?"

Kitty now noticed how unfinished her mom´s outfit and hair was and gave that a little laugh.

After the Kevin-Kitty-situation Nora somehow managed to better „ease into the situation" how she called it. The time when the parents would leave came closer and closer. But before they left William gathered all his children in the living room. Nora sat in their midst, which strangely gave the impression she was on the same level as her kids not her husband.

Unusually quick it was completely quiet,maybe because Kevin was still a little of from Kitty´s spiteful speech and the rest was too tense to talk.

William rose his voice pompuously: Children, listen. Today is an important day for all of us. To each one of us and the whole family as an item."

Nora chuckled a bit. She found her husband acted as if he led an army to war and not just telling his children to behave, but Nora didn´t interfere. It would do no good. But maybe the kids would take their father´s words seriously enough to actually act after them.

„Me and your mother chose one of you to be responsible for all of you, for one night."

Nora now grew a bit uneasy with the way her husband was making this a big thing for Sarah.

But Sarah looked fine sitting next to Kitty, silently laughing about a sercret joke only they knew about.

„But as much as Sarah is in charge, you all are in charge! Do your best,support her and help her!"

Nora sighed relieved. That was what she had wanted to hear. Dividing the responsibility so it would be tolerable.

„I expect you to do as I told from each and every one of you. Even our youngest, Kevin. I want to remind you that misbehaviour won´t hurt me, but your sister! Think about what that would say about your companiongship,your sense of family."

He closed and nobody spoke. Even Nora was impressed how skillfully he had turned misbehaving in a betrayal to the family and directly to Sarah. And Sarah actually was very close to all her siblings, she was through and through the big sister who always had an open ear. Nora believed Tommy´s and Kitty´s jealousy was smaller than their friendship to Sarah.

Still Nora wished William hadn´t make failing all despicable and disgracious, after all human beings and children especially were destined to fail every now and then. But that was hopefullyy not tonight.

When it came to leaving, Nora had trouble letting go but after she kissed and hugged all of them twice, she left thr house after William, imploringly hoping she would be able to enjoy the evening out and not just be worried-sick the whole time...

To be continued...


End file.
